Community Connections

As a new school year gets underway, we’re excited to welcome families back to NCVPS and connect with those joining us for the first time. Whether your student is returning or exploring online learning with us for the first time, we’re here with the resources, support, and information you need for a strong start.

In this edition of Community Connections, you’ll find new course offerings, including expanded Computer Science options, resources to help families support online learners, opportunities for students to get involved beyond the classroom, and highlights celebrating outstanding students and educators across North Carolina. We’ve also included upcoming orientations, events, and other important dates to keep on your radar.

Thank you for being part of the NCVPS community. We look forward to working with you and supporting your student throughout the year.

As an integral part of the NC Department of Public Instruction, our role is to supplement learning based on student needs. It's important to note that NCVPS does not issue diplomas directly. Instead, we encourage parents to work closely with their local school districts or consider the homeschooling route to ensure their student's academic journey is recognized and credited. Below, you'll find helpful guidance on how to navigate these options:

Partnering With Your Local School

Public school students will need their school’s e-learning advisor, often a school counselor, to enroll in our courses. Since enrollment processes vary by district, we recommend visiting our course catalog to explore the wide range of courses we offer and checking out our “Getting to Know NCVPS” page for detailed information about our program.

For Homeschool & Private School Students

We also welcome homeschool and private school students in North Carolina, as well as those studying outside the state, through our Virtual Advantage program. This program has a unique enrollment process tailored to your needs. For more information and to begin enrollment, please visit our Virtual Advantage page.

Don't miss out on key dates for the 2026-2027 school year! Our school calendar, available through our Parent Resources page, is your go-to for planning. This comprehensive resource also features FAQs for parents, registration details, a demo course preview, and more to ensure you have everything you need at your fingertips.

As virtual learning has become a part of everyday learning for most families across North Carolina, many parents, guardians, and mentors continue to struggle with how to support their online learners in blended and online classes. To provide resources and strategies for how to support not only our NCVPS students, but all online learners in North Carolina, NCVPS has created two Supporting Online Students (SOS) video courses in Canvas. Both courses are free, open to the public, and do not require login credentials. Please share both links with your educational communities and parent networks.

Supporting Students - All NC - The first course, Supporting Online Students – All NC, is general in nature and is designed for parents, guardians, and mentors of any student who is participating in a blended or online course or is enrolled in a fully online program regardless of school or grade level.

Supporting Online Students – NCVPS Students - The second course, Supporting Online Students – NCVPS, is specific to NCVPS and includes specific examples, demonstrations, and resources for NC Virtual parents, guardians, and mentors.

NCVPS has a mobile app, and Canvas has two mobile apps and a web portal. What does each one do? We're glad you asked! Here you go:

NCVPS App: Stay connected with what's happening at NCVPS. Think of these as "front office" notifications.

Canvas Apps and Web Portal: Connect with a student's course, see grades, due dates, pacing guides, and message the teacher.

Check out the guide on our Mobile Apps page to see when and where it's best to use each app or portal.

NCVPS offers many ways students can participate in extracurricular activities. Check out our Culture Cafe series, the iWorkNC speaker series, our various clubs, and free tutoring! See our Student Life page for details.

Need answers quickly? Visit our Parent FAQs page. Want to stay informed? Sign up for our Parent Mailing List and get notifications delivered to your inbox regarding our events and important news.

We also host live office hours in our Outreach & Support Zoom room every weekday from 12-12:30. Please do drop in and say hi and let us answer your questions about supporting your NCVPS student!

NCVPS is expanding its Computer Science offerings with two new courses for Spring 2027.

These additions give students more opportunities to build knowledge and skills in growing areas of technology while giving schools additional options for meeting North Carolina’s Computer Science graduation requirement.

Current Computer Science Courses

• CP10 – Python Programming I Honors
• 2A02 – AP Computer Science A
• 0A02 – AP Computer Science Principles
• CS31 – SAS Base Programming Honors
• CS10 – Introduction to Computer Science - New course launched Fall 2026 for high school and middle school
• CS30 – Introduction to Data Science - New course launched Fall 2026 for high school and middle school

New for Spring 2027

NCVPS is continuing to grow our Computer Science offerings to support schools and districts across the state.I

• CA10 – Artificial Intelligence - New course launching Spring 2027 for high school and middle school
• CI30 – Cybersecurity I Honors - New course launching Spring 2027 for high school
  

View all courses at: ncvps.org/catalogs.

NCVPS believes that communication with stakeholders is critical to student success. As such, we set communication expectations for our online teachers that might be different than what you would see in a face-to-face school environment.

These communications may take place via any of the NCVPS-approved methods (phone, text, Canvas message, email, virtual meeting spaces, i.e., Zoom).

NCVPS teachers are expected to:

• Send a Welcome Email to all students and parents/guardians within 2 instructional days of a student being added to a section once the semester begins.

• Communicate with students at a minimum of every 2 weeks (weekly in the Summer semester)

• Communicate with parents a minimum of 4 times per Fall/Spring semester or at a minimum of every 2 weeks in the summer semester

• Respond to all communications by 11:59pm of the next instructional day after the communication was sent.

Meet Super Student Samuel G! Samuel writes,“Taking an online course has challenged me to manage my time properly and gives me a sense of independence because everything from finishing assignments to using the given resources was up to me. Taking an online course also allows me to understand my own way of learning which will allow me to better understand material. The online course I took also helped me realize that I won’t always grasp the concept on the first try. This course has also helped me procrastinate less than I would have.” – Samuel G.

Read more about Samuel, and all our Super Students on our Super Students page.

Meet Super Student Aubrey H! Anita writes, “I took an NCVPS class because I wanted to learn about Spanish before high school. So far, I have only taken Spanish 1. I was surprised by how kind and helpful my teacher, Ms. Persin is! My advice to other students is to prioritize your time and don’t put things off until the last minute.” – Aubrey H.

Read more about Samuel and Aubrey on our Super Students page.

NCVPS is proud to announce Beverly “Bev” Glover Logan as our 2026–2027 E-Learning Advisor of the Year!

Bev serves as the E-Learning Advisor at West Charlotte High School, where she supports students in grades 9–12 on their path to graduation. A proud public school graduate and veteran educator, Bev brings a student-centered approach grounded in high expectations, accountability, and encouragement. She challenges students to stay focused and confident as they navigate their virtual coursework, helping them develop the skills needed for long-term success.

A strong advocate for both students and teachers, Bev is known for her exceptional communication and collaboration. She ensures NCVPS teachers have the information they need to support students effectively, closely monitors student progress, and proactively shares updates when circumstances change. Her colleagues describe her as kind, responsive, and dependable—a trusted partner whose positive attitude and thoughtful communication strengthen the connection between schools and NCVPS.

To celebrate this well-deserved recognition, NCVPS staff traveled to West Charlotte High School on April 28th to surprise Bev with flowers, a crystal award, and NCVPS swag. The celebration was made even more special with the participation of West Charlotte High School staff, who joined in honoring her outstanding contributions to students and online learning.

Visit our website to learn more about Bev and the E-Learning Advisor of the Year program.

“Joy is making a positive difference in the lives of others.” — Bev Logan

Parents: NCVPS Virtual Parent Orientations

Audience: Parents, guardians, mentors, and supporters

Learn how to support student success with the Virtual Support Center, Peer Tutoring Center, Canvas Parent App, Observer Access, and engagement resources.

Registration Links: August 27, 6PM September 10, 11AM

NC’s Public Colleges and Universities

Are you feeling overwhelmed about the college process? If so, join us for a session with admissions officers from University of North Carolina at Asheville, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, & University of North Carolina at Pembroke. They will share valuable information and answer all your questions.

Date: Wednesday, Sept 9, 2026

Time: 6:00 PM

Presenter: Admissions Representatives

Zoom: https://ncvps.zoom.us/my/iworkncvps

NC’s HBCUs

Are you interested in applying to one of North Carolina’s HBCUs? Are you wondering which one would be a good fit for you and your interests? If so, join us for a session with admissions officers from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical (A&T) University and Fayetteville State University. They will showcase what is unique about their institutions and answer all of your questions.

Date: Wednesday, Sept 16, 2026

Time: 6:00 PM

Presenter: Admissions Representatives

Zoom: https://ncvps.zoom.us/my/iworkncvps

NC’s Private Colleges and Universities

Are you interested in attending one of our state’s private colleges or universities? Do you need some insider tips on how to get admitted or how to pay for it? If so, join us for a session with admissions officers from Davidson College, Duke University, and Queens University. They will share valuable information and answer all of your questions.

Date: Wednesday, Sept 23, 2026

Time: 6:00 PM

Presenter: Admissions Representatives

Zoom: https://ncvps.zoom.us/my/iworkncvps

NC’s Community and Technical Colleges

Are you interested in attending one of North Carolina’s community or technical colleges? Do you need some insider tips on the application process or help narrowing down your college of choice? If so, join us for a session with admissions officers from Blue Ridge Community College, Central Piedmont Community College, and College of the Albemarle. They will share valuable information and answer all of your questions.

Date: Wednesday, Sept 30, 2026

Time: 6:00 PM

Presenter: Admissions Representatives

Zoom: https://ncvps.zoom.us/my/iworkncvps

Student Development Coordinator–Fraternity and Sorority Life

Do you wonder what it would be like to be involved in a fraternity or sorority once you get to college? Are you interested in working with college students as a career? If you answered yes to either of these questions, join us for a session with Jacob Wuwert, Student Development Coordinator – Fraternity & Sorority Life at Columbus State University.

Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026

Time: 7:00 PM

Presenter: Jacob Wuwert from Columbus State University

Zoom: https://ncvps.zoom.us/my/iworkncvps